Fuller’s Discovery Blonde

After reviewing quite a few blonde or golden ales over the course of the past few weeks I am beginning to get a little bored of them. It’s not that I don’t like them, it just that they aren’t my favourite types of beer & I feel as if more than a couple over a short period of time is too much for me but this on is a Fuller’s so I’m going to give it a bash. Brewed by Fuller, Smith & Turner who have five beer in the 1001 list (this isn’t one of them though), you just know this beer is going to be quality. It will be the second beer from the brewery I have sampled, the first being their London Porter late last year & that was a surprise hit so this should hopefully be to my liking. First brewed in 2005, exactly 160 years since the brewery was founded, Discovery Blonde has a lot to live up to & hopefully it will.

Appearance (4/5): A nice, light golden to amber colour with a foamy white head on top. The head starts about a finger width tall before gradually reducing in size & leaving a thick, foamy lacing.Aroma (8/10): A sweet & incredibly fruity aroma comes off this one, not what I was expecting at all based on the last few blonde ales I have reviewed here. There is a strong citrus & tropical fruit mix that works well & is very summery on the nose. Very pleasant indeed.Taste (7/10): Again very sweet & quite fruity too although not as strong as the smell. There is some pineapple & citrus fruit along with a bread like taste. The finish is a mild bitter one that leaves you wanting more. Very enjoyable.Palate (3/5): Medium bodied & a little chewy on the tongue but highly drinkable with a slight fizz to it. It doesn’t do much wrong though.

Overall (15/20): A real surprise & not what I was expecting from this beer at all. It is a lot more fruity than the other blonde ales I have reviewed recently. Incredibly well balanced, this is a beer to be savoured. I can see me going back to this one again in the near future.